Duncan Knob Hike

Duncan Knob - Luray, VA


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Length	Difficulty	Streams	Views	Solitude	Camping
8.7 mls
Hiking Time: Elev. Gain: Links: Lodging: Resources:	4.0 hours plus a half hour for lunch 2,200 ft with two different ascents George Washington National Forest Apple Blossom Inn Printable Topo Hike Map (PDF) Luray Weather Forecast Graphic Precip/Temp Forecast Current Weather Radar Loop (Java) Garmin (GDB), GPS eXchange (GPX) (What's this?) 3D View of Route!
From:	e.g.. 12000 Government Center Parkway 22035 or Fairfax VA Trail head and parking area for the Scothorn Gap Trail Crisman Hollow Road/VA211 intermittently closes in the winter to traffic due to road deterioration. Check with the GWNF for gate status at 540-984-4101.

Part of Middle Mountain in the George Washington National Forest, and sister hike to the Duncan Knob Hollow Hike, the Duncan Knob hike offers solitude, a rock scrabble, and great views of the Massanutten Range and Shenandoah Valley. Water is scarce over most of the hike, so make sure to bring plenty.

Start up yellow blazed Scothorn Gap Trail after crossing Passage Creek. Traverse one switch back and climb steeply, pass a clearing and pond (depending on what time of the year it is, the pond might be completely dry) at 1.0 miles.

At 1.3 miles come to a four way junction and the yellow blazed Scothorn Gap Trail you have been on turns left. Directly ahead is the orange blazed Massanutten Trail, which you will use to return. To the right is Massanutten Connector Trail.

Turn left on Scothorn Gap Trail, the trail gradually rises and passes a small clearing before coming to the junction of blue blazed Gap Creek Trail after 1.5 miles from turning left at the junction.

Turn right onto blue blazed Gap Creek Trail as it ascends steeply to the ridge line in 0.3 miles. On the ridge line is a white blazed trail on the left. This leads you to Duncan Knob in 0.3 miles, requiring scrambling over rocks in places to get there.

To continue the hike return to Gap Creek Trail and Turn left. Note: it is easy to miss the trail on the way back, the white blazes in the rock field are hard to find. Just remain on the ridge line and you will reestablish the white trail if you miss it.

Take blue blazed Gap Creek Trail downward (steep) for 0.8 miles before meeting up with the orange blazed Massanutten Trail, at a four way junction, where you will turn right.

Turn right on Massanutten Trail for 1.8 miles. Veer right steeply upward for another 0.4 miles then descending 0.7 miles and returning to the four way junction you turned left at on the way up earlier. Massanutten Connector Trail turns left here.

Continue straight on the yellow blazed Scothorn Gap Trail 1.3 miles, re-crossing Passage Creek and returning to the parking area.

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Hiker Reviews For The Duncan Knob Hike (5 Most Recent)

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By:	Rating:	Date of Hike: Sunday, April 15, 2012
I was finally able to drag my good buddy on a "real" hike in Duncan knob...he admitted afterwards how glad he was that I brought him. What a perfect hike this is with beautiful mountain trails,steep climbs,amazing boulder scrambling,and a stunning vista at the top. Thank you hiking upward for this awesome resource.

By:	Rating:	Date of Hike: Saturday, November 12, 2011
Couldn't have picked a better weekend to tackle this hike. We made this a two night/three day event camping at Scothorn Gap and then hiking to Duncan Knob on Saturday and then Strickler's Knob on Sunday. Duncan Knob was very rewarding with mostly flat terrain with a moderate climb that leads to the approach to the Knob. That was where it got interesting. As you approach over a field of rocks you can see your destination looming above. Once at the base of the summit, the scramble begins as it steadily climbs on the the ridgeline. The views climbing are almost as rewarding as the views at the summit. It was perfect fall weather, albeit a little windy, but certainly one of my favorite hikes. Highly recommended.

By: userid333	Rating:	Date of Hike: Saturday, October 15, 2011
We turned this into an overnight backpacking trip, setting up camp at the intersection of the white blazed spur to the Knob and blue blazed Gap Creek trail (marked Camping 2 in the GPS route). We had the place to ourselves, but the available camping space was huge with space for 15 or more tents. We found 4 fire rings scattered around, and there were perhaps more. As the pictures show, the site is wooded but it is also on the ridge. This makes the center of the site a bit exposed in high winds (as we had). However, we were able to pitch our tents just over the crest to a leeward section and out of much of the wind. It was a nice, if dry, site. There is also a nice small site about a third of the way up the spur to the Knob. The fall views from the Knob were fantastic. Overall the hike was great. There are long climbs and descents, so make sure your quads are up to it.

By: Jake	Rating:	Date of Hike: Thursday, July 28, 2011
Doug, I bushwacked "The Knob" at Short Mountain in late July.� It is brutal to go along the top of the ridge in the summer.� I hear it is much easier to start at the road at the bottom of the mountain and just bushwack up to the top.� In either case, it was awesome!� Well worth it.

By:	Rating:	Date of Hike: Saturday, May 28, 2011
The directions are right on.� If a guy from Nebraska can find it and follow the directions, you know its good.� Being unfamiliar with the area, I didn't realize that much of the trail would be underwater this time of year.� Once I made it to the blue blazed trail, the condition was much better.� Took me 3 hours round trip (not completing the loop).

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